4+ day, 14+ hour ago (511+ words) The federal government shutdown has officially ended. Paychecks are restarting, and benefits are finally starting to come through again. But for tens of thousands of San Diego County families, the worry hasn't gone away. Many are still catching up on missed payments and weeks of delayed income and uncertainty that threw household budgets into chaos. If there is one lesson we should carry forward, it is this: San Diego's public-nonprofit partnerships are our lifelines. They are not optional supports. They are how we take care of one another. During the shutdown, the calls coming into211 San Diego nearly tripled, online applications for Food Bank ID cards surged tenfold and senior food program enrollments more than doubled in a single week. These numbers weren't abstract. They represented real people in very real stress. And the moment they reached out, San Diego answered....

3+ week, 5+ day ago (877+ words) The former San Diego Association of Governments accounting official who was fired after exposing errors in the state Route 125 toll-collection system has been awarded millions of dollars as a result of her treatment. In a decision released Monday, an arbitration judge said the regional planning agency known as SANDAG must pay plaintiff Lauren Warrem just over $2.5 million. "The evidence was clear that Ms. Warrem suffered both economic and emotional injuries caused by the termination," wrote Jeffrey Barton, the retired judge who acted as the arbitrator in the case. San Diego attorney Joshua Gruenberg said he was grateful for the arbitration finding. He said SANDAG refused to settle the case for anything more than $200,000. "We're grateful for the arbitrator's thoughtful decision recognizing that Lauren was retaliated against for doing her job with honesty and integrity," he said. "This ruling restores her…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago (609+ words) Bob Lehman, who has been at the helm of the San Diego Museum Council since 2021, has been named the new executive director of San Diego ART Matters, the region's leading arts advocacy and service organization. Lehman, who was the executive director of the San Diego Gay Men's Chorus from 2013 to 2019, didn't waste time in raising the profile of the San Diego Museum Council when he took over in the middle of the pandemic. In the span of just a few years, he increased the council's membership and was a highly visible and vocal advocate for museums across the county. In the course of a day, it was not unusual to see Lehman hop from one museum to another, posting updates on the council's social media channels and appearing on TV to promote the council and its member organizations. During his…...

4+ day, 15+ hour ago (407+ words) Holiday shoppers who have any money left after Black Friday and Small Business Saturday have one more day of the weekend for buying gifts, and some of San Diego's museum stores are hoping to claim their business. As part of an international event organized by the Museum Store Association, gift shops at some of the region's cultural institutions and museums will offer discounts and special deals as they encourage locals to "shop with purpose." "Museum Store Sunday would kind of be the antithesis of Black Friday," said Chacho Herman, director of earned income at the San Diego Museum of Art. "Black Friday is about conspicuous consumerism " getting the deals. Museum Store Sunday is more about thoughtful gifting or shopping with purpose." Herman, who is also on the board of the Museum Store Association, said gifts offered inside the museum store…...

1+ day, 16+ hour ago (301+ words) A new series of artist Bas Louter's vibrant spray-painted works of art debuted at Rancho Santa Fe's Oolong Gallery last month. The colorful exhibition called "Zuckerzeit" will be on view through Jan. 5, 2026, with canvases that double as backdrops for informal performances by gallery staff, wearing matching sweat suits hand-painted by the artist. Louter is a Los Angeles-based Dutch artist who utilizes spray paint for his drawings, paintings and clothing. His work is featured in several collections in both Europe and North America. The title "Zuckerzeit" (meaning "sugar time" in German) was inspired by an album by the Krautrock [] A new series of artist Bas Louter's vibrant spray-painted works of art debuted at Rancho Santa Fe's Oolong Gallery last month. The colorful exhibition called "Zuckerzeit" will be on view through Jan. 5, 2026, with canvases that double as backdrops for informal performances by…...

3+ week, 5+ day ago (343+ words) It is time for San Diego Mayor Gloria and the City Council to look inward at the city's spending problems. Its botched effort at levying trash fees (why not get three bids from qualified vendors and outsource the service to the professionals?) has caused citizens to lose even more trust in the city's ability to govern. The list of such ineptitude is long. Because of such incompetence, the city's finances are a disaster and unsustainable, which will ultimately lead to bankruptcy without prompt action. Now we read the City Council is considering levying a $5,000-per-bedroom tax on owners of second homes who do not rent them out long-term. Taxing private investors on homeownership will serve two purposes: 1) ignite lawsuits and 2) distort markets. Lawsuits cost time and money. Distorting efficient markets brings unintended consequences, which tend to exacerbate problems, not solve…...

2+ week, 6+ day ago (508+ words) In the Curator's Words is an occasional series that takes a critical look at current exhibitions through the eyes of curators. Long before he began painting images of war, artist Mitchell Jamieson had already established himself as a well-regarded master of his craft, having worked for the Federal Art Program painting infrastructure projects during the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1942, Jamieson became an official combat artist, first depicting amphibious training. In the ensuing years, during World War II, he would join military operations in North Africa, Italy, France and eventually, Japan, where he witnessed the Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay in September 1945, formally ending World War II. Jamieson's work, as well as those by other combat artists like him, are in San Diego this fall, all part of an exhibit at the Coronado Museum, which has gathered…...

3+ day, 3+ hour ago (915+ words) By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, GARY FIELDS, ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE and BEN FINLEY Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, declined to provide a motive for Wednesday afternoon's brazen act of violence, which comes as the presence of troops in the nation's capital and other cities around the country has become a political flashpoint. Pirro identified the guard members at a news conference as Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. Both remained hospitalized in critical condition. Pirro said that the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, launched an "ambush-style" attack with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. The suspect currently faces charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Pirro said that "it's too soon to say" what the suspect's motives were. The charges could be upgraded, Pirro said, adding, "We are…...

4+ week, 1+ day ago (167+ words) Do younger generations understand how evil Hitler really was? Re "Michael Smuss, 1926-2025" (Oct. 26): I read Mr. Smuss" obituary and it reminded me that some people display incredible courage when confronted with a desperate and hopeless situation. Mr. Smuss was one of hundreds of Jews who took up arms to fight an enemy they could not hope to defeat. With no real weapons, they fought Nazi soldiers with Molotov cocktails during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of World War II. Mr. Smuss was one of the few resistance fighters to survive almost one month of fighting. I salute Mr. Smuss and his compatriots. Today, I am saddened so many Americans call fellow Americans they disagree with "Nazis." We may have disagreements, but to call Americans "Nazis" diminishes the evil the real Nazis represented. I hope one day World War II will be taught…...

3+ week, 3+ day ago (822+ words) Here are some of the best things to do this weekend in San Diego from Friday, Nov. 7 to Sunday, Nov. 9. San Diego Asian Film Festival: The 10-day festival produced by Pacific Arts Movement (Pac Arts) will take place at various venues across the county, including UltraStar Cinemas Mission Valley and the Southwestern College Performing Arts Center in Chula Vista. Cinephiles can watch more than 150 films from over 30 countries. Nov. 6-15. sdaff.org/2025 San Diego Symphony "Where the Shining Trumpets Blow: Music Director Rafael Payare leads the orchestra in selections from Mahler's The Boy's Magical Horn (Des Knaben Wunderhorn) featuring baritone Matthias Goerne, and Bruckner's Symphony No. 4, "Romantic. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Jacobs Music Center, 1245 Seventh Ave., Downtown. $30-$108. 619-235-0804, sandiegosymphony.org" San Diego Food + Wine fest unveils full lineup of events Nov. 2-9 Kenny G Live:"The world famous saxophonist comes to San Diego."8 p.m. Friday....